Phasing out the Independent Living Fund just makes no sense at all. I fail to see how this could save any government any money as it only keeps disabled people out of state care to live at much lower cost in their own homes.

If we put together all of the cuts sick and disabled people face, we are literally stripping away all of the support we thought was only decent and right in a civilised society. The effect all of these attacks combined on "the most vulnerable in our society" can surely be nothing short of disastrous? Are we really prepared to live in a society that does almost nothing to support sick and disabled people?

I know there are many battles to fight at the moment, but if you have the strength and health to fight your own, I beg you to lend a little of it to your sick or disabled fellow human beings. They often have the weakest voice and the least ability to fight.

That we have a government who chooses this particular group to take the most pain makes me utterly ashamed.

21 comments:

I agree so hard it hurts.I work in a social services dept. - we see ILF making the difference quite often when it comes to funding solutions whereby someone with a severe disability gets to live at home.With no ILF - we will end up placing these people in inappropriate care homes because we have a brief to spend less - yet it will end up costing the council more.

This case strikes me as particularly compelling evidence of not properyl thoguth through cuts. If as you say, this is saving the health system money by taking the burden off the care sector then it appears ill thought. I am sure you woud be on strong ground to make a bigger deal about this.

It's only worth about £330 million. Average payments are only about £300 a month, but they keep the most profoundly disabled from having to live in residential care!!! What on earth would it cost if all of those people (about 21,000 I believe) had to go into care?????

It's BONKERS. Just like cutting the fund in place to help small and medium sized businesses employ disabled people. It acknowledged that it cost money to employ disabled workers and paid for perhaps, a ramp or special seat of desk. That's gone too. At a time when they're forcing sick & disabled people into work, why on EARTH would you make it HARDER for employers to take them on????

It becomes very hard not to conclude that they're targeting this group BECAUSE they can't fight back.

Oh and I meant to say. As for making a big deal, this post just went CRAZY on Twitter. Everyone RTed it from Alastair campbell to Sunny Hundal (Liberal Conspiracy)It got nearly 1000 pageviews in the first hour, lol!!I do love having a voice over things like this.

@sceptic.Well done. You're very good at insults.Now how about something which needs a little bit more brain power. Like trying to answer Sue's question? Namely, why is the government phasing out the Independent Living Fund when it could save money by keeping disabled people out of state care to live at much lower cost in their own homes?

people like sceptic are not a troll there just sick but there are very many of them in the UK which i find the most disturbing. He hasn't read a word that you have posted sue and comes up with a post of of a 5 year old with people like this in the country heaven help us

If you thought the students were trouble, wait for the disability movement http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/johnmcternan1/100068334/if-you-thought-the-students-were-trouble-wait-for-the-disability-movement/

What this means is that local authourities will need to plug the gap and if they can't do it at the same level (which they would find hard at the best of times) then it will mean poorer services and lower quality of life.

And yes, we need to remember what ILF was for, keeping people in the community and out of res. care.... so much for the big society if it means institutionalising people to save a bit of cash.

But most important for central government it will be representatives of local authourities doing the dirty work...

Very good points Neil80 - probably the most important points in all of this, across any department.

Any cheering little soundbite or welcome concession George Osborne made in his CSR was totally swamped by that one point. Central government can say they are protecting this or ring-fencing that but in effect they've passed almost everything over to local government. They then expect local government to save 27% of it's budget!!!!Traditionally, it is these support services, community schemes, education top ups etc that go first when local government make savings. Savings of 27% mean even things like libraries, refuse collection and schools will be hit - things like the ILF stand no chance anyway.On top of all that, they've insisted council tax be frozen, tying LAs hands behind their back still further.What I've been wondering is how do Tory LAs feel about all of this? They can't ALL be pleased surely? I feel a post coming on......

You're having no impact at all love. Face facts - this is an obscure and dreary corner of the internet. I have a friend who broke his neck when he was eighteen - he works so why can't you? Can you answer the question? You have the time and energy to blog so why can't you work? It's a simple question. I think that nurse was probably right. Self pity, miserabilism, aggression towards hard-pressed NHS staff -these are the characteristics of this blog.

I wouldn't encourage him sue he can make claims at will and cant be substantiated. As i said in my post above he hasn't a clue about disability or it seams any type of illness If it were my blog i would remove his posts as he is showing blatant disregard and hurt to you sue.Personally i find this type of person scum but as i also said above there are many like him in society today

What I'd like is to wait for Sceptic and Dan to get 'flu', real, proper 'flu', not man-'flu', and for them to phone in sick, only for their bosses to say, "If you're well enough to use the telephone, you're well enough to work".

I've been living off £96 a fortnight since twATOS passed me fit for work,im on this pittance whilst I wait for appeal, I've got appeal date for Nov 9th I doubt I`ll pass ive no-one to represent me,so I'm buggered.Its been awful living on this pittance since Febuary,im in so much debt I'm probably going to have to move in with a friend and do a runner from my house as baliffs calling all the time.I hardly come out of the house and only contact I have with friends & family is online thats now been cut off and Im on neighbours unsecured connection.Been that skint a friend in same situation goes rabbiting and we have to eat rabbit stew(quite nice actually) but ffs hunting & skip raiding for food,its a bit much aint it??

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I have a rare form of Crohn's Disease. I was diagnosed 21 years ago and have had many operations to remove strictures (narrowings in my bowel that grow like tumours) I suffer daily pain, often vomiting, malnourished and weak. I take mega-strong medications every day including chemo-style immuno-suppressants, opiates and anti-sickness injections. Sometimes I am fed into my central vein by tube, other times I can enjoy a nice meal out. I have children that I often can't look after and a husband who often looks after me.
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